Snap-seal



J. L. DINSMOOR.

SNAP SEAL.

APPLlcATloN FILED JAN. 27, |920.

Patented Jan. 11,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN L. DINSMOOR, OIE BROOKLYN, NW' YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ANCHOR CAP 8b CLOSURE CORPORATON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION VOIF NEW YORK.

SNAP-snai..

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. i1, 1921.

To all fw 71.0021. t may` concern.:

Be it known that l, Jer-IN L. DiNsMooR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of `Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Snap Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in seals of the type customarily employed for sealing freight-cars, meters, registers, and other devices. It comprises a new form of the type of seals which are commonly designated as snap seals, and relates particularly to seals of the variety wherein the device is attached by a shackle.

The general purpose of my invention is to provide a form of seal which, while satisfying the necessary requirements for security, is susceptible of manufacture at a minimum cost and is adapted for practically universal application without the use of special aflixing tools.

Stated with more particularity, my inven- .tion includes,lamong its objects, the following:

The provision of a seal which may be manufactured out of very light and inexpensive stock;

The provision of a seal .which may be folded out of flat stock in such fashion that no exterior seams or joints are produced;

The provision of a seal in which the folded members are held in position by the as sembly of the interlocking parts;

rThe provision of a novel form of engaging or locking member which is designed to retain its eflicacy and operate with certainty.

Other and further objects of my inveiition will be obvious upon an understanding of the device or indicated in the following description and claims.

Described generally, the invention contemplates an article made up of a keeper and a shackle. The keeper is designed to be punched and folded out of flat, light sheet material and may be completed in a single punching operation. The shackle is also designedto be formed out of flat stock by simple machine operations. The two may be assembled by hand, and by virtue of the manner in which they are assembled, the folded portions of the keeper, whereby the free ends of the shackle are inclosed and the 'locking members concealed and renn dered inaccessible, are secured in place and protected from tampering by portions of the shackle which are irremovably connected to the keeper. By this method of assembly the use of special fastenings is obviated, and there are no exposed seams or joints left, vas in .the case of seals in which the parts are crimped or otherwise secured.

The invention may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the many and various forms in which it may be embodied, the saine being herein presented for the purpose of illustration merely, and not with the idea of delincating the scope of the invention. In the said drawings Figures 1, 2, and 3 are views of the keeper at different stages in its manufacture Fig. 4 is a view of the completed keeper; Fig. 5 is an end view of the keeper looking at the lower end of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the shackle;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the assembled keeper0 and shackle;

Fig. 8 is a top Vview of the assembled keeper and shackle before the device is sealed;

Fig. 9 .is an enlarged front elevation of an engaging member;

Fig. 10 isa longitudinal sectional elevation of an'engaging member;

Fig. 1l is a detail of an engaging member,

character B represents generally the shackle.

As is clearly-illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the keeper may be formed from a flat sheet of ductile material by a punching operation. The blank is formed with a body portion 1, which has a longitudinally depressed channel portion 2, and to which body portion is Ajoined a tube portion including the tube back portion 4 and the tube wing portions 5. At its extremity opposite the tube portion the channel 2 terminates at an upstanding guard portion or lip 6 beyond which the body portion is formed with the aperture 7. The tube wing portions 5 are formed with the lock notches 8. The tube wing portions are turned inwardly on folded lines 9" until their lateral edges meet,

as shown in Fig. 2, whereat the lock notches 8 register to torm a lock aperture. This construction provides a flat tube, the eX-- terior width of which is practically the same as the interior width of the channel 2. This tube is then folded into the channel portion 2 on the line 10, as illustrated in Fig. 3 so that the linal form is that illustrated in Fig. 4. In this completed form the sides of the channel 2 hold the tube portion against expanding laterally, while the guard ledge 6 extends across the terminal margin of the folded wing portions 5. The locking aperture is thus completely inclosed on five sides, the open side ali'orded by the open end of the tube portion constituting the place for inserting the shackle. The shackle, as may be seen in Figs. 6 and 8, is formed ot a flat strip 01"' metal which is twice refolded longitudinally upon itself at one extremity to provide what I will term a straddle loop 11. The three overlying folds thus formed at one end of the shackle member, together with the other end of the shackle member, are provided with upstruck engaging or locking members 12 of proper size and disposal to register or nest with one another, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and which locking members are preferably formed in the manner hereinafter described. For the purpose of more readily identifying the parts in their assembled position, I will designate the various portions of the shackle member which are designated to overlap, by distinctive reference characters, identifying the terminal fold by 11i, the intermediate fold by 15, the body fold by 16, and the free end fold by 17.

The assembly of the shackle with the keeper is best illustrated in Fig. 7. In this it will be observed that the terminal fold 14: is passed into the tube member through the aperture 7 and between the body member and the guard lip 6, while the intermediate fold 15 and the body told 16 are passed into the tube member at the opposite side of the body member 1. These parts are pushed into the tube member until their engaging members 12 spring into the locking aperture of the tube member. This leaves the shackle extending from the keeper with its end free for insertion through the device to which it is to be attached. IVhen applied to such device, the shackle is then refolded upon itself and the free end inserted be-` tween the fold 16 and the-back of the tube member, until its locking member 12 springs into nest with the locking member of the other folds. This is eective to secure the seal, so that the shackle cannot be detached or withdrawn without the destruction of the device or distortion to such an extent as to show immediately that it had been tampered with. It is contemplated, of course, that the dimensions of the tube member and shackle shall be such that the parts have a snug lit suilicient to hold the engaging parts in register. The tendency of the tube portion to unfold from the body portion, due to the resiliency or elasticity of the material of the keeper, operates effectively to maintain the locking member of the keeper in engagement with the locking members of the shackle.

As thus assembled, it will be observed that the several in-folded portions of the keeper are enveloped and held irinly against unfolding by the iolds of the shackle member, and that the interlocking portions are thereby inclosed and rendered inaccessible. The arrangement leaves no exposed folded or crimped edges, and any attempt to disengage the parts by inserting a thin instrument along the inserted portion of the shackle would tend simply to raise the locking members 12 still further and increase the intimacy and security of their locking engagement. The aperture 7 permits the nesting of the engaging members on the folds 14, 15 and 16 after they are looped around the front portion of the body member 1, so that they may be inserted in nested relationship into the end olf the tube member, and the guard lip 6 makes close contact with the terminal fold 14 so that all the folds are pressed into close engagement with one another and the inner portions of the tube securely covered and protected.

The body portion, of course, may be made in any desired shape, the construction permitting a wide range of designs whereby dillerentiation may be made among different seals and the body portion, as well as the shackle, afford parts upon which identifying characters may be easily applied. In order that the necessary rigidity and resiliency of the locking members 12 may be maintained when the article is formed out of very light and inexpensive material, I shape these locking members in a special fashion whereby they are given increased stability and resiliency over the amount of such qualities naturally possessed by the material. This special construction of the locking members is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. In these figures it will be seen that the locking members are punched out of material forming the shackle member so as to form short curved upstanding lips. These lips are arched transversely as shown in Fig. 9 and the material back of them is similarly raised and arched across portions which are not slotted or detached from the body of the material. This is indicated by the shading in Fig. 10. This construction forms very rigid upstanding little locking members which permit of considerable compression in the process of inserting the shackle folds into the keeper, but which retain their resiliency and immediately spring into ,locking position as Soon as they clear the edge of the locking aperture. The nesting of these locking members further contributes to the security of the seal by providing'an arrangement wherein the locking members mutually reinforce and support one another, and whereby attempt to withdraw the shackle forces all the interlocked parts into firmer and closer engagement.

Having thus described my invention, what lf claim is:

l. A seal comprising a keeper and a shackle formed with interengaging locking portions,` the keeper having portions folded to form a tube for the reception of the extremities of the shackle, and the shackle having interengaged portions bent about the folded portions of the keeper to retain them in folded relationship.

2. A-seal comprising a keeper formed in a single piece and a shackle formed in a single piece, said keeper and shackle being provided with interengaging looking portions whereby they are secured together, the keeper having portions folded to provide a tube arranged to receive the extremities of the shackle and to inclose the interlocking portions, and the shackle including portions bent to encompass folded portions of the keeper to retain them in folded relationship.

3. A seal comprising a keeper formed in a single piece and a shackle formed in a single piece, said keeper and shackle being pro vided with interengaging locking portions whereby they are secured together, the keeper having portions folded to provide a receptacle arranged to receive portions of the shackle and to inclose the interlocking portions, and the shackle including portions bent to encompass folded portions of the keeper to retain them. in folded relationship.

4. A seal comprising a keeper in a single piece and a shackle in a single piece, said keeper and shackle being provided with interengaging locking portions whereby they are secured together, the keeper having portions folded upon one another to provide a tube for the reception of the locking portions and to cover the meeting folds of the tube forming portion, and the shackle including folded portions engaging the folded portions of the keeper to maintain them in folded relationship.

5. A seal comprising a keeper and a shackle provided with interengaging locking portions, the keeper having parts folded to provide a tube and a channel portion for the reception of the' tube, and the shackle portion having parts folded to retain said tube portion in the channel portion.

6. A seal comprising an integral keeper member and an integral shackle member, said members being provided with interengaging locking portions, the keeper having parts folded to provide a tube for the reception of the shackle and a channel for the reception of the tube, and the shackle having portions folded to retain the tube portion in the channel portion.

7. A seal .comprising a keeper and a shackle provided with inter-engaging locking members, said keeper having parts fold ed to provide a tube for the reception of the shackle, said keeper having parts folded to provide a channel arranged to embrace lateral portions of the tube and to cover the meeting folded portions thereof, and the shackle having parts engaging the keeper to retain the tube portion in the channel portion.

8. A seal comprising an integral keeper and a shackle, said keeper including a body portion, a locking member, and parts folded to provide a tube for the reception of the shackle, said keeper including a part disposed to cover the locking member and meeting folded portions of the tube, and the shackle having parts engaging the body portion and the tube portion to hold them in assembled relationship, and a locking member engaging the locking member of the keeper to secure the shackle against removal from the keeper.

9. A seal comprising a keeper having infolded portions cooperating to form a tube and a body portion arranged to cover said portions, and a shackle engaging said infolded and body portions to retain them in folded relationship, said shackle and keeper being provided with interengaging locking members, retaining them in assembled relationship. A

10. A seal comprising a keeper having infolded portions coperating to form a tube and a body portion arranged to cover said portions, and a shackle engaging said infolded and body portions to retain them in folded relationship, said shackle and keeper being provided with interengaging locking members, retaining them in assembled relationship, said locking members be- 110 ing disposed within said tube.

11. A seal comprising a keeper shaped to provide a tube and having a locking portion disposed Within the tube, and a shackle arranged for insertion into the tube and hav- 115 ing nesting engaging members adapted for locking engagement with the locking portion therein.

12. A seal comprising a keeper having parts bent to form a substantially rectangu- 120 lar receptacle closed on five sides and a portion forming a locking member disposed within said receptacle, and a shackle having terminal portions insertible into said receptacle through the open side thereof, said 125 shackle having nesting engaging members adapted to effect locking engagement with the locking member of the keeper.

13. A seal comprising a keeper having parts bent to form a receptacle having an 130 opening through one side thereof and a portion forming a locking member disposed Within said receptacle, and a shackle having terminal portions insertible into said receptacle through the open side thereof, said shackle having nesting engaging members adapted to effect locking engagement with the locking member of the keeper,

ll. A seal comprising a keeper shaped to provide a locking member and a tubular member inolosing the locking member, and a shackle insertible into the tubular member and having a transversely arched upstanding engaging member adapted for locking coperation with the locking member of the keeper.

l5. A seal Comprising a keeper having a tubular portion for the reception f a shackle and a shackle of sheet metal having an upstruck transversely arched portion forming a locking member insertible into said tubular portion of the keeper.

16. A seal comprising a keeper formed of resilient sheet material having portions folded together to provide a housing, one of the folds being on a transverse line so as to provide a closed end to the housing, parts at the opposite side of said transverse line being folded together, and a shackle having parts folded to engage the outer side of said last mentioned portions to hold them against unfolding on the said transverse line; said keeper and shackle being provided with resilient interengaging locking portions disposed within the housing and effective to retain the shackle against Withdrawal therefrom.

JOHN L. DINSMOOR. 

